The family of Remo Stars Football Club (RSFC) Assistant Captain, Kazeem Tiyamiyu (Kaka), allegedly killed by some operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on the Sagamu-Abeokuta road is demanding justice.
The family said that the Ogun Government should ensure that the killers of the deceased were brought to book.
The family made the demand in a statement signed by its lawyers: Adegbesan Adenola Esq., Ogunsanmi Abisoye Esq. and the family’s spokesman, Ganiyu Tiyamiyu.
It also refuted the preliminary reports on the alleged killing released by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Tiyamiyu was allegedly killed on Saturday by a policeman (SARS) attached to the Ogun Command. The family spokesman said that the denial by the NPF was false.
He added that it was only meant to exonerate the policeman alleged to have committed the offence.
The spokesman said, “This story is not only false, but concocted lies and a foundation for the normal conspiracy theory used in exonerating erring police officers at best to be suspended or dismissed, but never to face the full wrath of the law.
“Without further ado, let’s set the records straight and reject in his entirety this falsehood circulating within our media space painting a good citizen of this country as a villain rather than a hero, even to his grave.
“Tiyamiyu Kazeem is a professional footballer currently signed to Remo Stars in Sagamu and on this faithful day he was in a shop buying groceries when some SARS officers grabbed him and pushed him into their Sienna bus.
“One member of the SARS team drove Tiyamiyu’s car with Tiyamiyu’s fellow colleague signed to the same club by his side and they proceeded straight to Abeokuta.”
Ganiyu Tiyamiyu said that the SARS operatives stopped the vehicle transporting them and the two people arrested.
“And the deceased was questioning the SARS officers on the reason for his illegal arrest.
“He was pushed down from the car and got hit instantly by a vehicle and somersaulted to the other side of the road.
“Immediately after the accident, he was still breathing and was rushed to a hospital at Obafemi Owode before he was moved to another hospital in Ipara.
“This was contrary to the advice and protest by his teammate that Kaka should be taken straight to the Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital for proper treatment.
“While on their way to the hospital at Ipara, the Sienna bus used for the illegal operation absconded and while at the hospital, Kaka finally gave up the ghost,” he said.
Ganiyu Tiyamiyu said that the SARS operative that allegedly committed the crime attempted to escape. The spokesman said that he was apprehended by some of the hospital’s staff and handed over to the police.
“Contrary to the claim by the police that the deceased was always dressed in military uniform, he was not in any military uniform neither has he ever worn any military uniform.
“Further to this, there are a lot of questions begging for answers on the mode and procedure of the arrest that will be addressed in the course of the trial.’’